In Partnership with the Arts Center of the Capital Region

Whether you are an emerging artist, established creative, designer, maker, performer, or arts entrepreneur, Artist Career Essentials welcomes all creative professionals looking to strengthen the business side of their practice.

Join us to gain practical skills, build meaningful connections, and develop the knowledge, confidence, and resources needed to build a sustainable and successful creative career.

Each session will feature two presentations.

Session One: Financial Essentials for Creatives and Building Connections: Interactive Networking
Thursday, October 15
5:00pm-8:00pm
The Jane Altes Gallery at the Arts Center

Financial Essentials for Creatives (Session One)
Presenter: Destiny Watkins

Creativity may drive your work, but strong financial practices help turn your talent into a sustainable business. This 45-minute workshop will explore the financial groundwork every artist should establish, key financial responsibilities when starting a business, and practical strategies for creating and managing a business budget.

Building Connections: Interactive Networking (Session One)
Presenters: Destiny Watkins and Kema Maxwell

Networking does not have to feel awkward or intimidating. This 45-minute interactive workshop will help creatives build the confidence and practical skills needed to make meaningful professional connections. Participants will explore the basic science behind networking and social discomfort, learn strategies for working a room and starting memorable conversations, and practice creating a concise introduction that clearly communicates who they are and what they do.

Through interactive exercises and real-time practice, participants will also learn how to identify approachable groups, remember names, navigate introductions, and step outside their comfort zones in a supportive environment.

Session Two: Funding Your Creative Work and Marketing Yourself and Your Work
Tuesday, October 20
5:00pm-8:00pm
The Jane Altes Gallery at the Arts Center

Funding Your Creative Work (Session Two)
Presenter: Elizabeth Reiss

Finding financial support for creative work can feel overwhelming, but understanding where funding comes from and how relationships are built can make the process more approachable. This 45-minute workshop will introduce creatives to the fundamentals of fundraising and project support, including identifying potential funding sources, building relationships with supporters, and communicating the value of their work.

Participants will explore practical strategies for identifying funding opportunities, developing a compelling case for support, and approaching individuals, organizations, and community partners. The workshop will help artists think more strategically about sustaining their creative work while building authentic, long-term connections with potential supporters.

Marketing Yourself and Your Work (Session Two)
Presenter: Michael Roach

Great work needs the right audience. This 45-minute workshop will help creatives understand how to build a strong marketing and brand identity that communicates who they are, what makes their work unique, and why customers should choose them. Participants will explore branding, storytelling, and market positioning while learning how to identify their ideal customers and determine where their work fits within the marketplace.

The workshop will also help participants evaluate their most effective sales channels and marketing strategies, giving them practical tools to increase visibility, connect with the right audience, and more confidently promote themselves and their work.

More Information About Our Presenters:

About Destiny Watkins
Director of Training & Technical Assistance

Destiny Watkins holds a BA in Small Business Management. She served as the Small Business Development Lender at the Community Loan Fund for seven years, where she processed, underwrote, and serviced for-profit loan applications.

Destiny also coordinates the Emerging Investors Network, which provides opportunities for individuals to invest in the Community Loan Fund and help fund small businesses and community organizations. She coordinates, develops, and executes business mentorship programs, strategic planning courses, and essential business education workshops throughout the Community Loan Fund’s 11-county service area. Destiny is also a Content Specialist in Business and Finance with the New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC).

About Kema Maxwell

Kema Maxwell is the visionary founder of Kema, a luxury artisan brand specializing in handcrafted wood and leather handbags, accessories, and wearable art. As a designer and maker, Kema brings each creation to life through a blend of woodworking, laser technology, and hand-finishing methods. Her innovative designs have been featured at New York Fashion Week, showcased on ABC’s General Hospital, and recognized throughout the Capital Region.

Kema serves as the Global Fashion Instructor at Capital Region BOCES. She is also the former Director of the BIPOC Business Growth Initiative at the Capital Region Chamber, where she supported entrepreneurs through business education, mentorship, and resource referrals.

About Elizabeth Reiss
CEO of The Arts Center of the Capital Region

Elizabeth Reiss is a lifelong arts advocate whose career has been guided by the belief that the arts belong in everyone’s life. Raised on Long Island, she has worked in New York City, Pittsburgh, and the Capital Region in art museums, children’s museums, arts festivals, and community arts organizations.

Throughout her career, Reiss has served as a museum educator, education department director, exhibitions manager, development and public relations director, and organizational leader. Her favorite projects include developing Craft in the Classroom, a K–12 craft education curriculum created with the New York City Board of Education; transforming an empty SoHo storefront into the Children’s Museum of the Arts; and presenting environmentally responsive public art projects through the Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh. These projects included work by Magdalena Abakanowicz, Patrick Dougherty, Steven Siegel, Stacey Levy, and others.

In addition to her leadership at The Arts Center, Reiss serves as Managing Director of Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company. She holds a BA from Bard College and an M.Ed. from Bank Street College of Education. Reiss is also President of Arts NYS and Co-Chair of the Troy Cultural Alliance.

About Michael Roach
Owner of Michael Roach Creative

Michael Roach is an award-winning marketing communications professional. Avid, a leading audio and video editing software company, recognized Michael for his content creation skills and storytelling ability.

In addition to running his boutique creative and marketing firm, Michael Roach Creative, he is a past president of the Rochester Professional Consultants Network and the American Marketing Association New York Capital Region chapter.

Michael also founded a networking group serving New York’s Hudson Valley to support entrepreneurs and professionals. Since its inception in late 2022, the group has helped individuals find employment opportunities and clients, develop business skills, and connect with potential collaborators. Michael is certified as a career coach, professional marketer, virtual speaker and presenter, and vision board facilitator.